I used to want to be a monk...
And don't ask me why...wanted to be a
priest too for a while...oh well,
Onward through the fog.
To become a monk, you had to be a boy first.
If you were given to the monastary by your Dad,
you became a oblate.
If you were older, and gave yourself,
you became a novice for several years.

After being a novice for several years,
living in the monastary, studying, working,
a novice was ready to take the final vows
to become a real monk.

Monkhood was a harsh, simple life.
There were many rules and most of them were strict.
There was often much work to do, but often
laymen did the heavy work, cooking, taking care of.
This left monks much time to pray, study, contemplate.

In the monastary, talking was discouraged or forbidden.
Meals were simple and few, maybe one a day in winter.
Fasting was common and good for the soul,
kept monks mindful not to be greedy or worldly.
Monks were not encouraged to own anything. In some
orders, owning property was forbidden.

The Chapter House was the place where monks met
to discuss their problems,
confront wrongdoing,
be admonished.

The Scriptorium was the library and writing place.
Monks spent a lot of time writing, translating,
illustrating manuscripts they made.
They decorated pages with gold leaf, reds, blues,yellows.
These are extremely valuable today.
They often decorated the first letter of every paragraph
in a manuscript. They were called Illuminators,
because they illuminated what they read and wrote.
Without monks, we would have no 'books' from this time.

The TIMETABLE was started by Saint Benedict in Italy.
This timetable was the order of the monks' prayers.
The first is very early in the morning,
the last at midnight.
There is much order in the life of a monk,
everything according to schedule.
The Saint Benedict timetable was so popular,
it was soon used all over Europe.

Most monastaries were built in the shape of a cross,
to remind monks of Christ's death.
The Vow of Poverty prevents owning personal possessions.
The Vow of of Chasity prevents marriage and calls for
a chaste life.
The Vow of Obedience demands a monk obey the church laws
and the monastary laws.

Monastaries often owned property and possessions.
Some of them became extremely wealthy and powerful.
Kings often gave monastaries great gifts, land.

During the Carolingian period when the economic
system fell to ruins,
many monasteries were sacked and destroyed.
Monks fled, many becoming fugitives.
Many tried to save their sacred relics, and did.
Monks were very determined to survive and their
history is one of mendacity and death too.

There came a time when enormous Cathedrals were built
all over Europe. These housed many religious artifacts
and holy relics, and were powerful places of worship.
Many are adorned with lovely stained glass windows.
Cathedral comes from the Latin word cathedra,
which means 'throne.' From these thrones,
Bishops rule.

There are still many active monasteries in existence today.
Father Thomas Merton is a man I've admired.
You might want to read some of his books.
His books helped me so much. Then one day I learned
he had died a strange death while off in foreign lands...
he was electrocuted trying to plug in a faulty electric fan.
Perhaps he was unplugging it...
What a horrible way to die!
I have often wondered what God must have been thinking...
you have to admit this is a strange way to end it all.

Monks are not perfect men, they are men who wish
a life away from the ordinary, a life suitable to
worship, study, prayer and contemplation.
Certainly we owe a great debt to the Monks of the
Middle Ages, to those scholars who lasted TheDarkAges,
and gave us much to ponder still.

In many ways, monkhood is not a natural way to live.
Doesn't seem normal not to get married, have children...
but then, all men do not want to marry, and
many should not.
Today the most famous monk in the world is
Cadfael.
If you do not know him, then you are missing
knowing an interestsing man.
Oh,television,you give us so much!

copyright May 1,1999 by thedarkages~

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